Method of making inkstands



Feb. 21, 1939. G. J. SENGBUSCH 2,147,931

mmnon OF MAKING vnmsmmms Filed June 12, 1936 g H; I i

4%; w *WM W5 Patented Feb. 21, 1939 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1Claim.

This invention relates to a method of making a type of inkstandembodying a large supply of ink, a pen-dipping well fed from the largeink supply and means for holding a pen in such relation to the dippingwell that the pen point is in condition for use merely upon removal fromthe inkstand.

Other objects and advantages will be understood by reference to thefollowing specification lo and accompanying drawing, wherein there isillustrated an inkstand embodying a selected form of the invention.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a plan, and Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on thelines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved inkstand therein illustratedcomprises a receptacle designated 5 in its entirety, the receptaclecomprising top, bottom, and side walls, 6, l and 8, respectively. Thetop wall 6 is provided with a domed portion 9, the purpose of which isto provide an ink supply chamber of large capacity as will presentlyappear. The said top, bottom and side walls are joined together to forma receptacle to which access'may be had only through a single accessopening It] provided in the top 6 near one end of the receptacle. Apartition wall H is formed in the receptacleto divide the same into anink supply chamber [2 and a pen-dipping well I3. An opening orpassageway I4 is provided in the lower portion of the partition I I,substantially centrally thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Thepassageway I4 5 serves to effect communication between the ink supplychamber l2 and the pen-dipping well l3.

The receptacle structure as described is preferably made of a suitablegrade of hard rubber which is not affected by the various commercialkinds of ink most commonly used. In producing the device, suitablerubber or other composition is formed into sheets, the sheets beingshaped and cut to the size of the various wall portions of thereceptacles. Such sheet portions are placed 5 in assembled relation in asuitable mold which embodies the outside shape of the receptaclestructure. The composition of rubber material which is adapted to formhard rubber when vulcanized is initially of a medium soft plasticity sothat it can be pressed together by hand and caused to fit the inside ofa mold such as mentioned. The dome portion 9 of the top member may besubstantially pressed to shape in the mold by hand. Thereafter a smallquantity of water is placed within the mold and preferably in thepreferably drilled through the top wall of the redome-shaped part, themold being in an inverted position, after which the mold is completelyclosed and subjected to the required heat for vulcanizing the rubbercompound. The heat required converts some of the water into steam whichbuilds 5- up sufficient pressure to force the rubber sheet material intoclose contact with the walls of the mold so that the shape of the moldis faithfully reproduced on the outside of the receptacle.

When forming the receptacle as described, the 10 partition element isalso formed by suitably positioning a partition-forming strip. Suchstrip is preferably provided with a metallic reinforcing plate l5 whichis completely embedded in the rubber material so as to be effectivelyprotected 15 i ceptacle after the receptacle is formed in the mannerdescribed. The opening is drilled with its axis at a slight angle to thevertical or so as to receive and position a sleeve element I B insuitable angular position for supporting a pen holder II inpredetermined angular position.

The sleeve element It may have an externally tapered lower end portionl8 which is designed to be pressed to a snug fit in the opening Ill. Theopening IS in the sleeve may be of substantially cylindrical formthroughout the major portion of its length. At the upper end of thesleeve, the opening is, however, flared outwardly as indicated at 20,the upper end of the sleeve being correspondingly flared more or lessfor appearance purposes.

The pin holder H is provided with a substantially cylindrical lower endportion 2| which is designed to fit in the cylindrical portion IQ of theopening with suflicient tightness to adequately prevent evaporation ofink from the receptacle, but with suflicient looseness to permit the pento be readily removed from the sleeve IS. The pen is also provided withan enlargement 22 forming a shoulder 23 which is adapted to seat againstthe flared portion 20 of the opening to limit the extent to which thepen may be inserted in the sleeve. The seating of the shoulder 23 on thesleeve serves, of course, to improve the closing 55 effect of the penholder in the opening of the sleeve.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the pen point 24 which is carried by the penholder, is immersed a short distance in the dipping well portion I3 ofthe inkstand. The depth of ink in the dipping well portion isautomatically controlled by height of the passageway 14 through whichink flows from the supply chamber to the clipping well l3. Obviously,the height of the passageway l4 may be made to obtain the desired ormost practical depth of ink in the dipping well.

The dipping well I3 is of itself of large area as compared with the arearequired for receiving the pen supporting structure. By providing such alarge area, expansion of ink and air in the supply chamber incident tochanges in temperature will not materially affect the depth of ink inthe dipping well. By this means the tendency of prior inkstands of thetype herein involved to run over in hot weather is effectivelyeliminated. I

For filling the inkstand, it is most convenient to remove thefrictionally held sleeve l6 so as to permit the easy insertion of thespout of a conventional ink bottle. The inkstand may be held with itsdipping well portion elevated approximately an inch or so under whichcondition the ink poured into the dipping well will flow down into theink supply chamber. If desired, the inkstand may be filled by pouringink into the dipping well while the stand remains in its normal levelcondition. When the well is filled, the dipping well portion of theinkstand may be elevated so as to cause the ink in the well portion toflow into the supply or storage chamber, This operation may be repeateda number of times until the desired amount of ink is in the supplychamber.

It will be apparent that the large supply of ink carried by thedescribed structure will last the average user of a device of this typea very long time. It is estimated that in most cases the inkstand willnot require refilling more than two or three times in a year.

In some instances it may be preferable to position the passageway I4nearer one side of the receptacle. A passageway so positioned isindicated by dotted lines at 25 in Fig. 2. By thus positioning thepassageway, the possibility of spilling ink by turning the inkstand onits side is materially reduced. If for instance a passageway is solocated and the inkstand turned so as to stand on one side, thepassageway 25 would, if near the uppermost side, be above the level ofink in the supply chamber so that the ink would be effectively trappedtherein and it adjacent the lowermost side, would be so low that theflow of ink would be cut oil by the inability of air to reach the supplychamber to permit the escape of ink therefrom. Such an arrangement doesnot, however, appear to be of much importance especially when theinkstand is designed to be of the low but wide proportions illustrated.The illustrated proportions of themselves are very effective inpreventing upsetting of the device.

The described structure is highly desirable, first, in that it maintainsin a conveniently accessible position a pen which is ready forinstantaneous writing and the handling of which is not attended with thelikelihood of getting ink on the fingers; secondly, in that the deviceholds a very substantial supply of ink so that the nuisance offrequently filling the ink well is substantially eliminated; thirdly, inthat the device is of simple construction, involving no movable oradjustable parts, and iourthly, in that the device is of clean-cut, neatappearance, high durability and low in cost.

Changes in the described construction may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined byreference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadlyas possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

The method of making an inkstand of the class described, which consistsin lining a mold with heat curable plastic material, providing apartition element having a passageway therethrough and comprising areinforcing element wholly embedded in heat curable plastic material,placing said partition element in position within the lined mold,placing a quantity of water in the lined mold, then covering the moldlining with a sheet of heat curable plastic material, closing the mold,and then subjecting the plastic material within the mold to heat forcuring and joining the lining elements, partition and covering sheetinto an integral hollow structure, the heat employed being sufiicient toconvert enough of said water into steam to develop pressure within thestructure to press the lining elements and covering sheet intoconforming engagement with the walls of the mold, the passageway in saidpartition permitting intercommunication between the spaces on oppositesides thereof so as to equalize said pressure on opposite sides of thepartition, and the reinforcement in said partition element being such asto support the latter against harmful distortion until said curingoperation is completed.

GUSTAV J. ,SENGBUSCI-I.

